Gary Streeter, the shadow international development secretary, has written to British American Tobacco criticising its advertising strategy in developing countries. He said yesterday that some of the advertising he had seen in Africa and elsewhere abroad was "an obvious evil, at best indiscriminate and at worst targeted at children".

 Mr Streeter's attack, backed by William Hague, the Tory leader, and Liam Fox, the shadow health secretary, is likely to anger many in the party - which is about to review its policies on smoking-related issues.

 The Conservatives have benefited significantly from the support of the industry, most notably during the 1992 general election campaign when hoarding sites were handed over to the party by cigarette manufacturers for political advertising. Kenneth Clarke, the former chancellor, is the deputy chairman of BAT and Baroness Thatcher is a consultant to Philip Morris, the manufacturer of Marlboro.

 Mr Streeter's decision to consult Ash, the leading anti-smoking pressure group and long-time bugbear of tobacco manufacturers, could prove particularly irritating.

 John Carlisle, the spokesman for the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association, said yesterday: "It would be surprising if the party started criticising major companies for what I would guess might well be spurious information."

 In his letter to Martin Broughton, the chief executive of BAT, Mr Streeter asks for the voluntary code of practice that applies in Britain to be extended to developing countries. The guidelines state that hoarding advertisements for cigarettes should not appear within 200 yards of schools.

 "It concerns me that safeguards we consider vital in the West are not thought necessary for people in the developing world," he said.